Interview // Dustin Tebbutt

On the UK leg of his first international tour we put some questions to Sydney's Dustin Tebbutt, the man behind the excellent "The Breach" and one of Australia's most exciting new singer songwriters. If you missed our review last year, here's why you should be a fan:"Dustin, you relocated to Sweden for a couple of years to write and record. Why Sweden? Any plans to relocate to write your next stuff?I originally moved over with a group of friends I'd been writing with back in Melbourne, one of them was from Stockholm, and he had spoken a lot about the music scene there, It wasn't so much a plan, but I was ready to travel at the time. I think too, I've had a long standing fascination with those stark winter environments, I'd been dreaming of the Himalayas and trips down the Yukon in Canada for a while, and Scandinavia seemed to appeal to that side of me. I'd love to relocate again, but I don't know where yet.. Until then, I'm pretty happy writing in Sydney at the moment.Australia has produced some phenomenal new artists over the last 12 months or so. Is there an excitement back home that you guys are running things right now?Definitely, it's really great to see local artists breaking through into overseas territories, having these local role models is incredible, as they really help you shift the focus beyond our borders. I guess too, it's really cool to feel like you can contribute to the larger international culture that I think we can see evolving in the wake of the internet age. What music did you grow up listening to?I listened to a lot of the Verve, I think Urban Hymns was the first C.D. I owned actually. That and this classical/flamenco guitarist named Slava Grigoryan, he had an album Called 'The Spirit Of Spain', I listened to that over and over when I was cooking dinner as a kid. Thats the stuff that got me into guitar really, and I ended up learning a lot of these pieces by ear. Will your upcoming US shows be your first in America? You must be excited about that, particularly playing the infamous Mercury Lounge.Yeah, these shows are all firsts for me. And for sure, there are those special venues like the Mercury lounge that you get to play now and then that just have stories crawling through the walls, so definitely looking forward to that one! I haven't been to the states before either, so part of this trip is just about getting on the ground and checking the place outSince you’ve been in England, how many times have you been asked about cricket?Actually not at all so far! I think carrying a guitar around maybe gives you an excuse to be ale to avoid those conversations... Your three favourite tracks of the last 12 months?The National - DemonsBonobo - First FiresFoy Vance - The Joy of NothingAre you touring with a band?No not his time around, I've just started working up the set with some guys back home, and it's been coming together really well so far, but it's just me this time around. Finally, we need your three favourite things about the UK so far, and your three biggest complaints...FavsThe fashionHow friendly the train announcements areThe Weather ComplaintsThe tap water is a bit sus"